The Rotting Verse
A Poem That Reads You Back
You shouldn’t be here.
You shouldn’t have read.
It knows your name.
It knows you’re dead.
—
It started small—a tickle, a twitch,
A crawling itch beneath your skin.
That wasn’t just a shiver, love.
That was how it gets within.
—
It seeps like water, black and thick,
Behind your eyes, between your ribs.
A thing with fingers far too long,
That splits your lips and wears your grin.
—
It writhes inside—each nerve, each vein,
It slithers, chewing at your brain.
Your tongue feels wrong?
Your teeth feel loose?
It’s changing you. It’s coming through.
—
Look at your hands. Do they still move?
Do they feel numb? Do they feel used?
That’s not a shadow at your back.
That’s not your heartbeat going slack.
—
It takes its time, it likes the wait.
It hums its hunger in your fate.
You think you’ll last? You think you’re whole?
It’s almost done with just your soul.
—
By dawn you’ll scream, but no one hears.
By dusk your voice will turn to smears.
By midnight you will walk its path.
And someone else will read and laugh.
But they won’t laugh for very long.
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Comments (12)
Hmmm this was so real,👏
Oh my, that gave me chills hahahaha. Loved it!
Freaky, creepy and chilling to the bone. Great job.
see what I mean, you are a natural...awesome poem
Awesome poem! It was so spooky and chilling. Loved how it pulled the reader along too.
The Rotting Verse A Poem That Reads You Back ,good work
Ohhh, this is deliciously creepy! The rhythm pulls you in, the imagery gnaws at your brain (just like it does), and that ending? A perfect, sinister cycle. I love how it feels like a curse—you read it, you’re doomed. Guess I’ll just accept my fate now…
lol, my leg and shoulder started itching when I started reading this. Very chilling, well done <3
Spooky!
‘Splits my lips and wears my grin’ oh my gosh, how do you come up with these bone chilling lines. My lips I would guard it with my hand, and not being able to have my grin be unique to me, is disturbing. ‘Chewing at your brain’ every line here is like a whip. That I have to take a moment to feel the sting. It’s weirdly inviting, dark and captivating. ‘Loose teeth’ following my recent dentist appointments, this line got me good. I am frightened 😰 Lucky for me it’s day time, when I got to the ‘hand’ I could tell its fear factor is real high. And I did actually look at my hand. Oh my heart. The ending 🙊 ‘and someone else will read and laugh’ humiliation mixed with fear, that’s an evil dark combination.
Ack. I'm going to have to get this out of my head before I go to bed!
Very strong poetry ✍️♦️♦️♦️